Frack.

Everyone was staring at Sims now. He looked around- indeed, Baltar was not present. Everyone was looking around, their voices starting to rise. Sims was getting ready to go back for Baltar when Tyrol stopped him.

"Gunny, you go back, they'll spot you. No point in losing two men over a panicked mistake, right? Wait till dark."

Sims was standing there, panting. Everyone was watching him again, waiting to see what he would do. He sighed, sat back down, and unslung his submachine gun. Everyone watched as he pulled it apart, started to clean it. Before too long, everyone went back to the slightly more pressing matter of survival. More inventory, more wounds to be salved. Socinus to look at after. It was all pressing down on Sims now.

The action of stripping and cleaning his gun was automatic now, but it gave Sims time to think. Tyrol was handling the situation admirably. Socinus was continuing to deteriorate, while Sullivan was shining. The civilians, however, seemed to be dragged along by inertia. Targ and Seelix just seemed to stand there, numb. Callie and Crashdown were coping slightly better. Sims check his watch, then realized how useless that was. He had no clue what the planetary time was. It looked to be late afternoon, so he hoped he didn't have long to wait.

The campsite was established as best as possible. It was fairly good ground, heavily covered from above. Everyone did their best to make it as comfortable as possible- Tyrol and Seelix were raising the survival shelter, Callie looking after Socinus, and the others rooting through supplies. Sims reassembled his gun, chambered a round. He was thirsty as hell. He took a few sips from his canteen before jamming back onto his belt. The thirst made him remember. He called Sullivan over.

"Hey, can you do me a favor and scout around some? See if you can find a stream or something, but mostly get the lay of the land. Get back before dark, will ya?"

"Yessir."

"Thanks, corporal."

Sullivan took off at a trot into the woods, gun in hand. Sims just sat there , gun across his lap, and watched everyone in the fading light.

The sun was behind the mountain they were covering behind when Socinus stopped breathing. Callie noticed first- she was closest to him, and made his welfare her personal job. It took her about thirty seconds to realize that his chest wasn't moving. Then, she was screaming. Sims ran over, to find her tearing open the medkit, screaming for help.

"He's not breathing!"

Sims checked, and indeed he wasn't.

"Callie, give me the intubation kit! Give it to me now!"

She rooted through the bag in a frenzy. Sims wasn't quite comfortable with anything beyond basic medical skills, but he knew how to intubate. He struggled to force down the panic rising in this throat.

Save the kid.

He tore open the packaging, tried to keep calm. Performance anxiety surged to the surface.

If I don't do this right, he dies. If I don't try at all, he dies.

Sims was coming apart. His hand trembled as he breathed quietly, trying to focus.

How long has he been out? Four minutes without air and he might be brain damaged.

Thee tube was jammed in. Callie was checking for a pulse.

Six and it's likely.

He didn't have one. Sims struggled to get the tube all the way down.

Eight and he's dead.

Chest compressions. He put his full weight into them, winced as he felt a rib give way.

Don'tthinkdon'tthink...ribs heal. If he's not breathing, then it doesn't matter.

He felt blood staining his hands, watched Callie give him breaths. She nodded, pushed him off. Little bits of charred flesh stuck to the blood on his hands from where the gauze had come off. Callie was weeping. Everyone had been watching. Sims stood up, took off his helmet and leaned against a tree.Socinus was alive, but just barely.

Sullivan was back before sunset, as promised. He walked into the campsite, saluted.

"Well sir, there's a stream two miles north-northeast of here. Aside from that...flat pine forest. Reminds me of Virgon, but that aside, nothing I think we have to work about."

"Thanks, Sullivan. Hold the fort, eh?"

The younger man nodded, and watched the gunnery sergeant stalk off into the descending night.